Ablative Absolutes Linking “qui” Chapter 44 Ablative Absolutes Linking “qui”

Ablative Absolutes Common construction in Latin, not in English Tells the situation in which the rest of the sentence occurs GRAMMATICALLY unrelated to other words in the sentence and is usually set off by commas

Ablative Absolutes in Latin Minimum* of two words in ABLATIVE case Noun + participle Noun + adjective Noun + noun Both words must be in ABLATIVE case and will agree in gender and number as well. *There may be other words involved in the phrase such as prepositional phrases, other modifiers, direct objects

Noun + Participle Noun + perfect passive participle is the most common ablative absolute. The basic translation is “noun having been verbed” Example: The apartment building having burned, Aurelia and Cornelia returned home. InsulA incensA, Aurelia et Cornelia redierunt domum. Notice two things: The noun apartment building and the participle having been burned are both ablative singular feminine, are not GRAMMATICALLY related to any other word in the sentence, and so are set off by commas. The apartment building having been burned was the situation when Aurelia and Cornelia returned home.

Noun + Participle 2 Noun + present active participle can also be used The basic translation is “the noun verbing.” Example: The dogs barking, Sextus and Marcus awoke. Canibus latrantibus, Sextus et Marcus excitaverunt. Notice two things: The noun dogs and the participle barking are both ablative plural masculine, are not GRAMMATICALLY related to any other word in the sentence, and so are set off by commas. The dogs barking was the situation when Sextus and Marcus awoke.

Noun + adjective Noun + noun These constructions are used because Latin has no present active or perfect passive participles for the verb “esse.” When translating into English one should use a form of the verb “to be.” Examples: Adjective Flavia being tired, the girls sat under a tree. FlaviA defessA, puellae sub arbore sedebant. Noun Since Cornelius was a senator, the Cornelians were not accustomed to spend the night in an inn. Cornelio senatore, Cornelii non solebant pernoctare in caupona. Notice The noun Flavia and the adjective tired are both ablative singular feminine. The noun Cornelius and the noun senator are both ablative singular masculine. Neither phrase is GRAMMATICALLY related to the rest of the sentence and both are set off by commas. Both phrases represent the situation in which the rest of the action occurred. Both phrases required a form of the verb “to be” in translation although it did not appear in the Latin In the second example the word “Since” was added. One may also try “when,” “while,” “after,” “with,”, “because,” “although,” “if,” and “as long as” IF it makes sense.

Linking “qui” A relative pronoun used at the beginning of the sentence whose antecedent is in a previous sentence. NEVER translated as a relative pronoun (who or which) CAN be translated as a demonstrative pronoun (this, that, these, those) CAN be translated as a personal pronoun (him, her, it, them)

Linking “qui” examples Palaemon Sextum manum extendere dixit. Cui Sextus non paruit. Palaemon told Sextus to extend his hand. Sextus did not obey him. Aurelia et Cornelia insulam viderunt. QuA incensA, Cornelia valde commovebar. Aurelia and Cornelia saw an apartment building. When it burned, Cornelia was very upset.